Hello and welcome to The Blue Book, the Michigan Democratic Party’s weekly recap to keep you in the know about Michigan politics. Every week, we’ll bring you the latest in how Democrats are delivering for Michiganders and standing up to Republican extremism in the Great Lakes State.
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- ROGERS SILENT ON CHURCH ABUSE SCANDAL: Mike Rogers is facing fresh scrutiny over his scandal-plagued campaign leadership team, which has two ties to a church upended by child sex crimes: Brian Ford, who remains on Rogers’ campaign and has publicly supported a former pastor convicted of sexually abusing children, and Tim Cross, who resigned “after saying he didn’t at first believe the victims in the Midland church sex abuse cases.” Earlier this week, Rogers refused to answer questions about his senior campaign leaders’ ties to the church sex abuse scandal, despite outcry from former members of the Midland church.
- JAMES’ SIX VOTES FOR HIGH GAS PRICES: John James voted for the Iran war six times, which has now caused gas and diesel prices to skyrocket. James has focused on backing Trump’s failed economic policies that are costing Michiganders thousands of dollars. Bridge Michigan dove into James’ support for the war, which is proving to be a political albatross.
- WAKE DOUG LLOYD UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS: It was a tough month for Republican Attorney General candidate Doug Lloyd. Throughout September, news broke that Lloyd 1) reduced or dismissed charges in several cases involving sexual assault, child exploitation and domestic violence, 2) fundraised with leaders of Michigan’s anti-choice movement, and 3) used an investigator in his office to look into the botched construction of his “dream retirement home.”
- ACTUALLY MAKING AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN: This week, Abdul El-Sayed introduced his Building a Healthier America platform. Using his public health expertise, El-Sayed proposed a platform to actually make America healthy again — by getting toxins out of our food, cleaning up our water supply, and holding polluters accountable. Learn more here.
- PATRIOTS VS. WAR MONGERS: Veterans in Lansing protested Tom Barrett and Mike Rogers’ support for the war in Iran. Barrett voted against ending the war in Iran multiple times, while Mike Rogers said he supported “giving the president authority to continue” the Iran war indefinitely. At the event, one veteran remarked that “The working class is asked once again to tighten our belts so that we can pay for a war that none of us wanted and none of us asked for.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Our campaign is fundamentally about three things: costs down, wages up, and ending the corruption that got us here.”
– Democratic nominee for Governor Jocelyn Benson
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